chemistry

Vicia grandiflora

Vicia grandiflora is a chemistry topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Vicia grandiflora rather than just read about it. In short: Vicia grandiflora, commonly known as large yellow vetch and bigflower vetch, as well as large-flowered vetch, is a common herbaceous plant species in the family Fabaceae, which occurs as a native plant species in Europe and Asia, as well as an introduced vetch species in North America. Etymology Its genus name Vicia is a Latin term for "vetch", while its species name, grandiflora, refers to the species' relatively l…

Key takeaways

Vicia grandiflora belongs to chemistry; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Vicia grandiflora to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Vicia grandiflora from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Vicia grandiflora, commonly known as large yellow vetch and bigflower vetch, as well as large-flowered vetch, is a common herbaceous plant species in the family Fabaceae, which occurs as a native plant species in Europe and Asia, as well as an introduced vetch species in North America.

Etymology Its genus name Vicia is a Latin term for "vetch", while its species name, grandiflora, refers to the species' relatively large flowers and means "large-flowered".

Taxonomy Austrian naturalist Giovanni Antonio Scopoli described this species in 1772 in his work Flora Carniolica. Taxonomists recognize two subspecies and a few varieties:

Vicia grandiflora var. biebersteinii Griseb. Vicia grandiflora var. dissecta Boiss. Vicia grandiflora var. kitaibeliana W.D.J. Koch Vicia grandiflora var. sordida Griseb. Vicia. grandiflora subsp. grandiflora Vicia grandiflora subsp. sordida Dostál

Description This relatively common annual legume species can reach from 30 to 60 centimetres of height. It is usually an upright-growing and spread out hirsute vine plant. Vicia grandiflora has alternate leaves that are petiolate and pinnately compound, with its leaflets (pinna) being round to obovate in Vicia grandiflora subsp. grandiflora, and linear to oblanceolate, sometimes narrowly cordate, in Vicia grandiflora subsp. sordida. There are from 6 to 14 leaflets. Each leaflet ends with short and sharpened point. On the other hand, each leaf ends with three-part tendril. This species is an entomophilous plant and flowers in spring time, usually from April to June. Vicia grandiflora has typical bilaterally symmetrical papilionaceous flower, that consists of banner, keel and wing, with petals being yellow. After time flowers lose their bright yellow colour and sometimes fade to pale lavender shade. Each flower measures from 2 to 3 centimetres, with a few combined flowers constituting an inflorescence. The latter can be both sessile and petiolate with short leafstalk. This species' sepals are fused together into a long calyx tube that is sometimes hirsute and ends with pointed calyx teeth. This plant's dried fruit is a legume, that can measure from 3 to 5 centimetres. Usually the legume gets darker as it ages. When ripe, the legume splits open and releases seeds. Vicia grandiflora can be mistaken for similar vetches Vicia lutea and Vicia pannonica, as well as the vetchling Lathyrus pratensis.

Distribution and conservation Vicia grandiflora grows in Europe and some parts of Asia as a native vetch species. The species can be found in Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tajikistan, Turkey, Ukraine, as well as United Kingdom. This plant was also introduced into North America; probably as a forage material for grazing animals. In North America it is mostly restricted to east and southeastern states of USA, in some parts being also an invasive species. Vicia grandiflora usually grows in a diverse collection of different habitats, which also include some anthropologically modified urban areas. This legume can be found growing on various meadows, in bright forests, on fields and gardens, as well as ruderal landscapes. It rarely grows in mountains, it occurs only at elevations up to 1,800 metres. The plant is a generalist, yet it still prefers warm and sunny growing surfaces. This species is listed as least concern (LC) species on the IUCN Red list, with its population being rated as stable.

Gallery

References

External links Data related to Vicia grandiflora at Wikispecies Media related to Vicia grandiflora at Wikimedia Commons

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Vicia grandiflora

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Vicia grandiflora claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In chemistry, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Vicia grandiflora before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Vicia grandiflora ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Vicia grandiflora

In research: Vicia grandiflora appears in chemistry research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Vicia grandiflora in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Vicia grandiflora is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Flora of Europe, Flora of temperate Asia, IUCN Red List least concern species, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Vicia grandiflora outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Ask Teacher Smith questions about this articleOpens your AI tutor with a question about “Vicia grandiflora” →

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study Vicia grandiflora in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Vicia grandiflora means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Vicia grandiflora out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Vicia grandiflora in simple terms?

Why does Vicia grandiflora matter?

Because it connects several chemistry ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Vicia grandiflora?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Vicia grandiflora.